Something interesting popped up among the locally grown carrots and lettuce heads at last week’s ASU Farmers’ Market: tiny clusters of still-green bananas grown right in downtown Tempe. Apparently, the banana trees are just one of many fruit-bearing plants on campus.ASU’s harvest program began back in the early ’90s, when…
Every couple suffers through periods of the “bedroom blues” sometimes. Maybe his compass doesn’t point north anymore – or maybe your threesome fantasies went south after she brought home a handsome doctor instead of the naughty nurse you were expecting. Whatever the cause for your personal boudoir blahs, you’ll feel…
If this season’s square-toed ballet flats and romantic, flowing dresses are any indication, the worlds of ballet and fashion are colliding. Ballet Arizona Artistic Director Ib Andersen merges couture and classical ballet in a new piece titled Symphonie Classique, part of the “Modern Masters” showcase the dance company is presenting…
Tourists see the master planned communities and bland brown strip malls around Phoenix and assume that nothing but cacti existed here pre-1980. But locals know the truth — that among the modern monstrosities are marvels like the historic downtown Encanto and Palmcroft neighborhoods of Central Phoenix. The vintage ‘hood, which…
If you haven’t already heard through the social media grapevine, tomorrow is the worldwide Twestival event — basically, a Tweetup for charity with food, drinks and a silent auction. The event started in 2009 and has spread to over 200 cities around the globe. This year’s Phoenix Twestival takes place…
The signs for Oakville Grocery are up at Phoenix’s CityScape development, and according to the PR machine the store is “in its final phases of construction and design.” The California-based gourmet market shuttered the doors of its Scottsdale Quarter location this past January after a little over a year in…
There’s a big divide between the gorgeous, contemporary lofts that TV shows depict the college crowd living in and the dingy, broken down, teetering-on-condemnation flophouses that most real world starving students are relegated to. One place I lived in during my undergrad days had fist-sized holes in one wall and…
Did you know that McDonald’s restaurants offer a real lobster sandwich? Apparently, if you hit up the Golden Arches in New England or Eastern Canada, you’ll find the McLobster: a combination of questionable seafood chunks, mayo, tartar sauce and lettuce packed in an overrated hot dog bun. In early March,…
Most American restaurant foods are easy to replicate at home: grilled cheese, burgers, the classic BLT. Japanese and hybrid-Asian foods are another matter. It might seem simple to toss together some rice, crab, seaweed and avocado to make a basic California roll, but ask any sushi chef and they’ll tell you…
The Red Dress Tour @ Roosevelt Row Before Art Detour 23 officially kicks off this weekend (whether we need it or not), local artists Kara Roschi and Ernesto Moncada will be giving visitors and downtown locals alike a taste of the Third Friday action on Roosevelt Row. Wear red and…
Brazilian artist Laerte Ramos may not hail from Arizona, but his work addresses one of the state’s major issues: the fact that our gun control laws are as loose as a college co-ed following a Saturday night beer binge. Ramos crafts shiny black ceramic guns based on toy manufacturers’ specs,…
Psychologists tell us that control is an illusion. Even so, it’s an illusion that most of us cling to like the unlikely hope that illegal immigrants will one day be welcome in Phoenix. The brave souls of Mesa’s National Comedy Theater will relinquish complete control to their audience at the…
Brazilian artist Laerte Ramos may not hail from Arizona, but his work addresses one of the state’s major issues: the fact that our gun control laws are as loose as a college co-ed following a Saturday night beer binge. Ramos crafts shiny black ceramic guns based on toy manufacturers’ specs,…
Last Friday, locals craving a sugar rush lined up in the parking lot of Smeeks at Central and Camelback roads for Chow Bella’s second Caramelpalooza event. The judging is over, and a favorite was selected by both the audience and a judging panel — Essence Bakery’s delicious caramel macaron, served…
It’s been well over a year since Poppa Maize nabbed a year’s worth of free rent in the Mill Avenue Retail Competition. Lately, we’ve been wondering whether the local popcorn purveyor’s Tempe branch would ever materialize. That day has finally arrived — and can we just reiterate how brilliant of an idea it is to put…
Last Thursday, RAW: natural born artists presented their second Phoenix-area event, “Artcade,” in the swank Ghost Lounge inside the Hotel San Carlos. The event was a multicultural showcase that spotlighted local visual and performing artists. So, what exactly is RAW’s mission? The California-based arts organization promotes local artists, musicians and…
The Georgia-based Mellow Mushroom pizza franchise opened its doors for lunch on Mill Avenue in Tempe today. The former Z Gallerie space underwent extensive renovations to welcome the new eatery, including the installation of an open kitchen with top-of-the-line pizza ovens, a bar with rotating record player art and a…
While St. Patrick’s Day originated as a religious holiday celebrating the famous fifth century missionary’s success in driving the “snakes” out of Ireland, in modern America it’s become a way to celebrate all things Irish. You know, like green beer. Sigh. On St. Patrick’s Day, the Virgin prefers to indulge in…
G.A.S.P (Girl’s Art Show Project) @ Evermore NevermoreFrom 6-10 p.m. tonight, the eclectic downtown Mesa shop at 127 West Main Street gets an extra shot of estrogen with an all-female lineup of artists, including Jenny Fontana, Samantha Nelson, Jenice Grimes and Aleta Welling. Don’t expect boring landscapes or painted flowers; the G.A.S.P…
Hair care expert Arlette Pender of Hairloks by Arlette has been working in the business for more than 30 years. She’s created fantastical afros, dreadlocks and cornrows for Essence and Vibe, hosted African-American hair care workshops for white moms of bi-racial or adopted children, and toured the country doing hair for “Milkshake” singer, Kelis. Recently,…
Ever since the ’70s, when the exploitation flick Reefer Madness gained cult status, people have been making movies about pot. The Big Lebowski, Pineapple Express, the Harold & Kumar franchise and pretty much every movie featuring Cheech & Chong have glamorized the use of this supposed “gateway drug.” But none have actually had the look,…
What legacy will you leave behind when you kick the bucket? A bestselling novel? A kid who will cure cancer? A YouTube video of you mangling Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” at karaoke night? When Merce Cunningham passed away in 2009, he left behind a seventy-year legacy of professional choreography, including…
